Thai Peanut Dipping Sauce

This is adapted from a cooking class taught by Chef Bank Ruangsangwattana Jr at Herbal Thai restaurant in Silver Spring MD.  It is wonderful for dipping chicken skewers or raw or cooked veggies, or on top of a green salad.

Ingredients:

1 cinnamon stick
1 - 2 Tbsp Massaman Curry paste
1/4 -1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup crushed roasted peanuts (use a coffee grinder for this, but stop before you make peanut butter!)                                        
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp fish sauce or 1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water


Directions:

1) Heat the water to boiling.
2) Add the curry paste and dissolve.
3) Add the coconut milk and cinnamon stick and stir slowly.  Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4) Add the crushed peanuts and continue to mix.  The sauce will start to thicken.
5) Add the sugar and fish sauce (or salt).
6) Adjust ingredients to taste.  If the sauce cools, it will solidify.  Simply heat it gently on
     the stovetop or in the microwave to liquefy.